A new kind of solar system: Mass Audubon Society adopts innovative form of energy production

Friday

Aug 31, 2007 at 12:01 AMAug 31, 2007 at 12:49 PM

The Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Visual Arts Center in Canton will soon be getting a big boost of energy right from the sun.

By Jeff Mucciarone

The Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Visual Arts Center in Canton will soon be getting a big boost of energy right from the sun.

This summer, the non-profit organization installed a photo-voltaic system of 44 solar panels, which will help produce about 27 percent of the energy needed at the visual arts center and will help save about $50,000 during the 25-year life span of the panels, according to Jan Kruse, Public Relations and Communications Manager for Mass Audubon.

“The latest solar installation is part of a system-wide effort by Mass Audubon to be a leader in reducing the impact of climate change,” Kruse said. “We have installed other (photo-voltaic) systems at eight other facilities around the state, are committed to building green and have made energy improvements at most of our existing facilities.”

Founded in 1896, the Mass Audubon consists of 44 wildlife sanctuaries and 35,000 member families, and remains the largest conservation organization in New England, as its sanctuaries stretch from the Berkshires to Cape Cod, said Amy Montague, Director of the Visual Arts Center.

The panels are split into two groups with 24 panels on the roof of the site’s barn, which was built in about 1860, and another 20 panels situated on the ground next to a field. Considering the age of the barn, there were some structural issues that needed to be overcome, Montague said.

The 25-year reductions of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides resulting from the new solar panels would be equivalent to planting 692 trees or avoiding 162,000 miles of driving, Kruse said.

“As an organization, anything we can do to preserve energy or replace with clean energy—it’s a good thing to do,” said Steve Landry, who is the Property Manager in Canton.

All the panels would have been placed on roofs but they found that not be practical. Once they determined additional panels would need to be on the ground, Landry said they focused on a placement that would have as little impact on the site as possible.

Like Kruse said, along with conserving energy through projects such as the solar panels, the organization is also interested in building and restoring with green supplies. Montague said many of the Audubon sites are replacing older appliances with newer ones, because the newer products are much more energy efficient.

The energy from the solar panels will directly benefit the society’s art exhibition gallery. Because of the nature of artwork, it must be kept in a climate-controlled environment, which takes considerable cost to maintain temperature and reduce humidity throughout the seasons. For that reason, Mass Audubon was pleased to have the solar panels installed in Canton, which houses all of the artwork for the entire society, Montague said.

It took about one year to finalize plans for the panels and now the society is waiting to tie up loose ends before they can begin to feel the benefit, Landry said.

Landry also said, as part of the state grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which helped fund the project, the state will help distribute information to the public to help in the overall education process.

In choosing the sites for the panels, the company that installed the panels, Solar Works, chooses locations where the panels will catch the most optimal rays from the sun. Solar Works installs panels for both residential and commercial sites, Landry said.

In addition to the art gallery, the Canton site spans 138 acres and includes a traditional nature center. The Audubon Society in Canton offers a variety of art and nature-related programs such as nature photography and landscape painting.

The Canton site, which was officially opened in 1999, was a gift from Margaret Morse Allen, who was an artist, filmmaker and avid bird watcher. The art exhibition gallery was formerly Allen’s art studio, Montague said.

“Even when she lived here, she always thought of the land as a wildlife sanctuary,” Montague said.

“In Audubon’s Footsteps: Denis Clavreul’s Journey through Watercolors” is currently on display in the art gallery. Clavreul, a French artist, is visiting and painting the various sites the namesake of the society, John James Audubon, visited and lived during his life. His work will remain on display until Sept. 23, Montague said.

The art gallery is open Friday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $4 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. Massachusetts Audubon members get in for free.

For more information on the Massachusetts Audubon Society, visit www.massaudubon.org.

For more information on the visual arts center visit www.massaudubon.org/visualarts.